cross-posted from: aussie.zone/post/31625931
Socialist Alternative leaders in the new electoral front want to ban caucuses from identifying with the party in public. NSW Socialists member Clarrie Lewis – writing in a personal capacity – argues this is a tipping point in defining the organisation’s democratic culture.
After the caucus publicly supported an ‘End the Blockade of Cuba’ demonstration in March, the secretary wrote insisting that Bread & Roses remove the reference to NSW Socialist Party from its logo.
Bread & Roses caucus members were told:
“The Bread and Roses Caucus has included NSW Socialists Party on its logo. I’m writing to inform you that this will need to be removed.”
[…]
“There are a whole series of political and legal implications if this is not adhered to. We are unable to authorise material produced by an internal grouping.”
Attempts to justify this restriction by invoking unspecified “political and legal implications” is a complete fabrication. A banner that says “Bread & Roses – NSW Socialist Party” is not an attempt to make statements under the NSW Electoral Act in the name of the registered party (New South Wales Soc). No reasonable person would think this.
The present dispute is therefore not about logos.
It is about what kind of political organisation NSW Socialists intends to become.